Blog 18

What lessons did you learn from the Industrialization Newspaper that you carry forward into the MSB project:

One thing I definitely got more experience in during this project was writing more like a journalist. I can use these new skills to present my written information with more evidence, and in a more professional way.

Write a reflective piece in which you identify specific things, content, skills, or habits that you will address in MSB as a response to your experience with the newspaper project:

In the MSB project, I will try to fit in as much evidence as possible from interviews, graphs, and so on rather than just what I find on the internet. Having a graph for my news story felt like an informational way to present information, and also has the ability to shock or surprise people with visuals. I can look fairly far into the past as well to create statistics and/or theories, just as I did in my newspaper article.

Blog 17

Post three organizations that might be useful resources for your MSB project. Post links to their websites. For example, you might want to interview a representative from San Diego's branch of Coastkeeper, so you'd post the link, name of the org and a brief description of who you want to interview, why, etc. Then... Post three gov't people (like Donna Frye, who is a City Council person) and/or branches of gov't that may be involved in some way in your MSB project. This might be the SD City Council, and you're going to report on their history with a specific site. Or, you might want to interview someone. Or, you might want to give them your final product to influence future gov't decisions. Make sure you post the name, the link, and the description of how this gov't agency or person could be involved in your project. Organizations: Coastkeeper (Still deciding who to pick) They do a lot of beach clean ups, so I'm sure they'd have plenty to say about the garbage on the beach, and what we can do to help. (Picking) (Picking) Govt. People SD City Council Member (Deciding) SD City Council Member (Deciding) Beach Police, since there are rules against littering, I can ask them how often they actually catch people littering, where, what the fines are, and so on.

Organizations:
SurfRider and Coastkeeper seem to be good soarces because they both do beach cleanups, and know about littering.

There was one more organization I wanted to include, but I need to get the list of soarces I handed in to Biology class to remember it.


Government:
I would like to interview someone from the San Diego Council, but I think I'd have to decide which district I'd like to base my reports on before I picked the specific council member(s).

I looked at Donna Frye first, though, and the first thing I saw on her page was a notification saying that water conservation measures are to be taken on November 1st, so that gave me a hint that she might care about our beaches. I looked into her background information and found out that she helped in the founding of an organization called S.T.O.P (Surfers Tired of Pollution), so then I knew she definately cared about the beach, meaning she'd most likely be willing and able to answer some of my questions about the trash cans and littering. I think basically any council member who's district includes a beach will be able to help me in this project, but Donna seems to be the one who has the biggest history with the beach.

I would also like to interview a policeman who works on the beach so I can find out about how many littering fines are handed out a day, and so forth.

The Confederate Tribune (Honors History #2)

With the state that America is currently in, no doubt we are all in want of new leadership. What America needs who understands the needs of the people, and someone for the people. This, being the democrat way, obviously shows that a democratic president is needed. But who would have thought that the democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan, was so ready for the job?
William Jennings Bryan continues to give his speeches from the back of railroad trains, and has already reached the ears of over a million citizens. A man for the people, indeed. Who else would be so bold as to travel the United States to give so many speeches? Certainly not the republican candidate, William McKinley, who prefers to give his speeches on his front porch. McKinley is someone who would help his people, the businessmen, rather than all the people of America.
Bryan’s support of silver in the economy should be like silver bells in all farmer’s and lower-classman’s ears. Using silver would easily solve our economic problem. It’s quite simple. Silver is much more available to all than gold, meaning that if we use more silver, there will be more money for all (everyone will get free silver once put into motion). With this increase in coinage production, prices will go up, which should be of little struggle for anyone, and our economy will rise again. This is, of course, just more proof on how well thought-out Bryan’s plan is to help everyone in this country.
But the new jingling in our pockets won’t be the only thing the public will have to celebrate. Bryan also holds a firm belief on having low taxation for all, meaning the horrible debt that most southerners are in would be easily and quickly cleared.
McKinley, on the other hand believes that if we put more gold into our economy, businessmen will have more financial confidence, and economic prosperity will soon follow. McKinley also believes in high tariffs, meaning farmers and plantation owners will be taxed even more than before. Do we really want someone who is going to make the people who already have less money pay even more? I would say not.
It would seem that the south would be the main ones paying the price and doing the work to fix our economy again. But how much more can we take before we are officially declared bankrupt? Our labor demands are already high. Farms and plantations would surely suffer with the high tariff taxation. William Jennings Bryan does not want to let such unfairness to the south to happen.
The faith citizens hold in Bryan have been standing strong since he was first introduced to the political election, and the chances that this faith will prove successful is more than likely. We should have faith in him, just as he has faith in Christ, and America as a whole.
No doubt we all remember when William Jennings Bryan of the Democratic Party led a crowd-arising speech in support of silver coinage. Back when Bryan’s voice echoed into the hearts of the crowd as he spoke of “a cause as holy as the cause of liberty—the cause of humanity.” His presence had once again took the crowd by storm, and already displayed early signs of superb leadership. His speech continued with excellent and holy reference to the crucifixion, refusing to let mankind be crucified on a cross of gold. His voice reached all the way to the back row of the crowd, as a secret reminder that no one shall go unnoticed if he becomes our next president elect. This was only the beginning of his excellent campaign, and it continues to move millions for good reason. His voice is honest, and we all know that if a voice as strong as his can reach out to all the little people, you can guarantee the man is the right choice for our country.
His voice continues to reach the hearts of millions, and his promises only sound more alluring. His campaign now sounds like something especially made for the people, and by the people. Bryan has certainly proven that he is a man of faith and family with his upstanding wife, Mrs. Bryan, and children. Bryan clearly understands the meaning of family, and how hard it can be to run one. He will surely make decisions with the thought of people of all ages in mind.
So far it seems that McKinley and Bryan are competing head to head for the title of The President of the United States of America. However, it is clear, that if we want things to change for more than just the men with gold in their pockets, then the obvious choice is William Jennings Bryan for president. At this point, it looks like everyone will be, and should be heading for the voting polls come November if we want to be sure the right choice is made.

Blog #16

Read through a variety of your classmates' ideas for MSB questions, preliminary research, product ideas, and professional examples. Then, post the following:

(Copy/paste this and filling the blanks...):

From Francisco's Media Saves The Beach Questions blog post, I realized I could have a more general, open ended question as the base of my project (ex: what can we do to make people want to clean the beach?). This way, I can find more sources for a various amount of topics. I can interview beach-goers, research how polluted our beaches are, and find out what ways people most enjoy participating in when it comes to cleaning the beach.
http://francisco-franciscoblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/media-saves-beach-questions.html

From Shanna McCue's Blog #15,I thought of making one b. Important—when you post the other student's name and/or blog entrybig final product, such as a big painting, rather than a whole bunch of pictures. I could make a large poster instead.

http://somethingthatshannawrote.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-15-possible-msb-products.html

From Kim Mason's Blog "Idea 1", I started thinking of how much I would photoshop my picture if I end up doing one big poster or a bunch of pictures. In general, I'll have to remember lighting, and such while taking and editing my pictures to make them look professional enough to present and possible even add to my portfolio.

http://kimloveseleni.blogspot.com/2009/10/possible-final-products-for-msb.html

Blog # 15

Post two different ideas of final products that you might be interested in making. For each one, do the following:

1. Write a sentence describing the final product:
A photography product showing the trashcans (or lack of) and the garbage on the beach, and captions on what information I have found.

2. Post an example of a professional or other high-level product that could serve as a basis for your work.

3. List three specific ideas that you can take from your example to lead you to a high quality product. Write specifically how you will apply these ideas to your work here. Be as clear, exact & specific as you can!

-I like the lighting in the trash can picture, so I can try to take my pictures at a good time of day where the lighting will make more pop out.

-I can also try to get a picture of how many trashcans there are on the beach from a higher poit perspective. The first picture inspired me.

-I can get pictures of the trash along the shore, and try to find out where it's all coming from, and write about it in my captions.

1. Write a sentence describing the final product:

I could make a video/documentary on how dirty the shores are, and film interviews, and the beach itself.

2. Post an example of a professional or other high-level product that could serve as a basis for your work.

http://mediasavesthebeach.org/ (The Plastic Gyre video, and What Do You Really Know? video)

3. List three specific ideas that you can take from your example to lead you to a high quality product. Write specifically how you will apply these ideas to your work here. Be as clear, exact & specific as you can!

-I could sort of connect my project to the North Pacific Gyre by adding in a little fact or two abut it as a way to show one of the biggest effects of littering.

-I could film interviews with organizations trying to help this as well as other sources.

-I could present my facts in a more fun way in the video, and add more personality to the narration.

Blog #14

Narrow your potential MSB questions down to one that might work for you. Then, do the following:
1. Post the main question.

Why are there so few trash cans and recycling bins on the beach?

2. Post at least three subquestions that relate to the main question, help you answer it, might generate interesting research or resources, address part of the issue, could help you if you get stuck, etc.

How many trashcans are there in one mile of the beach? What areas have the least trashcans, and what areas have the most trash? Is anyone trying to change this? How? What would it take to add more?
3. Post at least three potentially useful resources. These could be news stories, videos, photography, etc.
-Possibly an official from the City Hall
-Officials from foundations that organize beach cleanups (such as Surfrider and Coastkeeper)
-The actual beach
-People on the beach (what they think about it)
- http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080403/news_1m3trash.html (This is an article about recycling bins that were recently put on the beach)

4. Write a few sentences or make a list of ideas that you got from your resources that could help move your project forward. How can you apply this information? How might it work for you?

I could talk to a few beach organizations about cleaning up the beaches, if they think the lack of trashcans is one of the reasons why there’s so much litter, etc. I can also find organizations that are working to get recycling bins onto the beach (I know theres at least one, but I can’t find it right now). Counting the trashcans will help me get a sense of how the trashcans are arranged, and how effective this system is, and asking people about what they think will give me more general information on how important it is. If I do manage to get an interview with someone in city hall (such as the mayor), then I can find out how much it costs to get trashcans, what’s stopping us, what it would take, and so on. But I'm still thinking about it.

Blog # 13

Sewage Spill from Mission Valley to Ocean Beach
9/23/09
A sewage spill in Mission Valley led on Wednesday to a coastal pollution alert in Ocean Beach, about five miles to the west.
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Sewage-Spill-from-Mission-Valley-to-Ocean-Beach/qWYuIGp6oEeMp2ZNMf20lQ.cspx

1. What is the issue, controversy or event in the story? What are the basic facts?
About 1,370 gallons of sewage spilled into Mission Valley Beach, and the waste managed to reach all the way to Ocean beach, and closed both of the beaches temporarily. This sewage flooded out due to a clogged sanitation line.

2. What information is missing from the story?
The article didn't say how the water was decontaminated, or if it was decontaminated at all.

3. What would be your next steps if you were creating a follow up to this story?
If I were creating a follow up story, I'd want to find out how clean the water was after the sign was taken down, and I would interview some of the people who had to deal with the issue about how they fixed the problem, and if they attempted to clean the waters. I'd also try to find out about all the most recent sewage spills, and say how many sewage spills in San Diego there have been within the past three years to see how big of an issue our sewage system really is to our oceans.

The Outsiders (Honors Essay 1)

The Outsiders
D’Vaughn McCrae

Socials fight Greasers, Greasers fight Socials (Socs for short). That’s just how it was and that was the only world that Ponyboy Curtis, a thirteen year old Greaser, ever knew. But one night, Ponyboy and his friend Johnny get into a fight that ended when Johnny murdered a Soc named Bob. Ponyboy learned three things from that night: having a label doesn’t make you better or worse than anyone else, fighting doesn’t solve anything, and if you want things to change, you have to change them for yourself.
Labels are clear cut in this story. Socs are the kids with the polo sweaters, Mustang convertibles, and money. The Greasers are the ones with the leather jackets, oily hair, and empty pockets. That’s all anyone really notices about each other and hatred builds from their lack of understanding what is beneath the surface characteristics. Greasers hated Socs because they perceived them as spoiled jerks. Greasers were hated because they were perceived as the kind of kids who were bound to get into trouble one way or another. They were stereotyped as typically dumb. Despite the stereotype, Ponyboy was an Honor roll student. He knew all Greasers weren’t like that and sometimes he worried he wouldn’t even fit in with his Greaser friends since he was considered smart. These narrow beliefs were shattered by two Socs - Cherry and Randy. Pony meet Cherry and got along with her instantly. He trusted her enough to tell her about the incident when Johnny was nearly killed by a group of Socs. Cherry pointed out that “all Socs aren’t like that…that’s like saying all you Greasers are like Dallas Winston.” Dallas was a Greaser in Pony’s gang who was known for going to jail multiple times and constantly getting into trouble. Pony knew that not all Greasers were the same and he was proof. But even so, Johnny still felt that separation between Socs and Greasers. Probably the biggest difference between the feuding groups was that the Greasers were the ones who had it tough with bad parents, and little money, while Socs were the ones who got everything handed to them on a silver platter. Cherry soon after says “things are rough all over”, but that didn’t make him believe it. Johnny couldn’t imagine that Socs would even have any real problems. He was still struggling to process the thought that Socs were all different too. Only when he talked to Randy about Bob did he finally realize that everyone has problems and struggle.
“Bob was a good guy. He was the best buddy a guy ever had. I mean, he was a good fighter and tuff and everything, but he was a real person too” was one of the first things Randy said to him. How could a label be expected to fully define a person? How could a label sum up the whole person. Everyone has their own complexities. Pony was surprised to learn that Bob even had problems at home with his parents. “He kept trying to make someone say ‘no’ and they never did…That was all he ever wanted.” This was the line that really got Pony thinking until he finally realized that not even Socs have it too great. Bob longed for proof that his parents cared enough to keep him on the right track and stable so he found ways to get into trouble in hopes of prompting a response from his parents. Bob was yet another example of a Soc that lived beyond the stereotype.
The story creates the question “what is the good of fighting over a label?” and illustrates that there really isn’t any good in it. “It doesn’t do any good, the fighting and the killing. It doesn’t prove a thing…Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs,” was one of the last things Randy said to Pony. Pony learned that fighting doesn’t make anyone better or worse than they already were. In the end, a fight is more likely to inspire more fights than stop them. Even if you punch someone’s face in, they’re still going to be who they were before the fight, and so are you. You may even be a little worse off than you were before because you end up just wanting to fight more, and in turn, you’ll have all the more reason to be angry, because nothing changes from it. There’s no positive accomplishment. Nothing changes from it. The war just continues.
If you want things to change for yourself, you’ve got to make it happen within yourself. Ponyboy hadn’t expected to go too far in life since his family was poor. College was expensive so, for a while, his hard work in school seems pointless. It was Darry, Ponyboy’s oldest brother, who was always really strict with Ponyboy about his homework and grades. Ponyboy was a really smart kid. Darry reminded him there was a reason for that. Darry said, “With your brains and your grades, you could get a scholarship.” The story as a whole made the point that if a person – Greaser or Soc - wanted a better future, they were going to have to work for it. They may work for it in different ways. It may be stressful and difficult but you can get somewhere outside of where your current label has you now. A person can be whoever they want to be. Unfortunately, a lot of people limit themselves to societal pressures and the expectations of others. But society cannot tell you who you are. Each person determines if he will stay within the restrictions of the identity or if he will set a new course for himself.
People are people no matter what others think about them. We are all living here on this earth, with more in common than we may realize. We all have emotions, differences, and similarities. The fact is we’re all humans, no matter what we do or don’t have.

Blog #12

List at least three questions that interest you for Media Saves the Beach! For each question, provide a little context, so we know where your thoughts are headed, why you thought of it, what you might do to answer it, etc.

Why are there so few trash cans and recycling bins on the beach? What would it take to add more?
I like this question because I've wondered about this since the 4th grade. Not to mention I can never manage to litter, because I always feel really guilty afterwords, and turn back to go pick it up. I've given up on even trying. But the only times I've really even considered littering is on the beach because sometimes I'll look around, and the next trashcan is a mile or so away. No surprise that many other people decide to litter. I was thinking I could try to book an interview with a government official that handles the beach issues of San Diego (maybe there are budget issues, etc). I'd take pictures of where garbage cans were, and where a lot of trash resided.

Why are so many dog beaches getting shut down?
I'm curious about this because I thought so many dog beaches were getting shut down because dogs pooped a lot on the beach, or something along those lines. But then I later learned that dogs provide less than 2% of the beach's water pollution. I'd find out where dog beaches used to be, and the reasons they were shut down by asking experts, and then ask people who go to dog beach why they like bringing their pets here so much/why it's important to them.

Which San Diego beach is the most polluted? Why?
I think this would be interesting to look into, because each beach has different aspects to them, and if we identify the problem, we can find some solutions. Some beaches are closer to sewage plants. Sometimes litter is found more in one place than another because it's more popular, etc. I'd pick out three very different beaches, test the water, and compare them. I'd then have to try and figure out why these beaches are this polluted through research, observation, and interviews.

The American Dream (Honors Civil War Paper/Blog 11)

The American Dream

By: D’Vaughn McCrae

The Civil War is often called “the beginning of modern America”. But what is Modern America? It certainly has a debatable answer since the word “modern” is so broad. But could The Civil War really be considered the beginning of all of that? We all know that before the Civil war, slaves were allowed, and races outside of the Caucasian race were looked down upon like dirt. But that is only one aspect of the history behind the Civil War.

The Civil War led to Abraham Lincoln writing The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves from the heavy shackles that bound them to a life with no choice of their own. It also brought on the 15^th Constitutional Amendment that allowed every race their rights. Of course, these documents were not embraced by many Americans when they were first written. Most people back then still considered African Americans and Native Americans as something other than humans. In fact, the Ku Klux Klan, the Red Shirts, and the White League (all hate crime groups) were all born not long after these writings were presented.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14^th, 1865. That was the end of the progress that occurred back then, right? Not exactly. After the Civil War ended and Abraham Lincoln was killed, America came under new leadership. The Vice President, Andrew Johnson, took office. Although he was Lincoln’s second in command, Andrew Johnson basically had the opposite beliefs of the president before him. Johnson came from a Southern upbringing and did not have the same beliefs as Lincoln. In fact, Johnson wrote “Black Codes” to restrict the newly obtained rights of African Americans so the Caucasians of America wouldn’t fear the thought of African American’s being seen or treated as equals. To enforce his own policies, he put the south under new leadership of state governors. These governors were given power to actually make sure that African Americans were following the Black Codes and were not given the rights they had so recently gained. This was not the only decision made by him that was not quite pushing towards what America was working towards. In 1866, Congress wrote an earlier version of The Civil Rights Bill. Johnson vetoed it.

But through these mistakes and struggles Americans evolved and despite powerful leaders’ attempts to stop it, modern America had already been born and our progression was inevitable. For example, the first draft of The Civil Rights Bill was written in 1866, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this past draft played a major part in writing the final draft we have today. Had Abraham Lincoln not freed the African and Native American slaves, we might still be living in a hellish and underdeveloped land. America went from a time when cruel and brutal racism was an ordinary, every day condition and slaves were a normal part of American society, to a modern time when racism is generally looked down upon and slavery is considered primitive and barbaric.

Our progress throughout time has proved to be tremendous. America, in many ways has earned its title as “the land of milk and honey” but we have a long way to go. As modern as we’ve become, America still faces similar issues now to those back in the eighteen hundreds. For example, in 2008 a woman was shot after attending a Ku Klux Klan initiation ritual because she asked to be taken back to town. The leader of the KKK group shot her and eight people were arrested and charges of murder were filed. The group tried to hide her remains under some brush and burned her belongings to hide the crime. The authorities found the body of the woman along with Ku Klux Klan flags, robes, and weapons of theirs not too far away. This example illustrates that while modern America is a place where equality among all is emphasized and encouraged, the ideal is a goal we have not achieved.

Although The Civil War is often called the “beginning of modern America,” it was not the first time American “modern” ideas appeared. In 1776, nearly a century before The Civil War, The Declaration of Independence was signed. This document clearly birthed many, if not all, of the ideas and achievements that came out of the Civil War. The Civil War and the advancements that flowed from it could be described as the beginning of modern America – but it was just that – a beginning.

“All men are created equal” is one of self-evident truths that The Declaration of Independence lists. This was one of the very first documents to bring up the idea of equality for everyone and was undoubtedly a cornerstone of Abraham Lincoln’s philosophy for leading the country. Let’s not forget that throughout all the years, all the struggles, and all the triumphs, that goal of happiness and equality have been perpetual guiding principles in American evolution. “The pursuit of happiness” has always been and still is what America works towards.

"Female KKK Recruit Shot And Killed As She Left Initiation Ritual." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 2 Oct. 2009 .

"Gett Kidz- What were they fighting about?." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. 2 Oct. 2009 .

"The Civil War." PBS. 2 Oct. 2009 .

"The Declaration of Independence - TEXT." Archiving Early America: Primary Source Material from 18th Century America. 2 Oct. 2009 .